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Quick answer: If you loved Just Kids, read Bob Dylan's Chronicles: Volume One, then Slash and Anthony Bozza's Slash, then Johnny Cash and Patrick Carr's Cash, and Kim Gordon's Girl in a Band and Stephen Davis's Hammer of the Gods. All are artistic memoirs.
Patti Smith's Just Kids is a memoir of her friendship with Robert Mapplethorpe in 1960s and 1970s New York. These picks share its artistic bohemia.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronicles: Volume One | Bob Dylan | Adult | musician's memoir |
| Slash | Slash and Anthony Bozza | Adult | Guns N' Roses |
| Cash | Johnny Cash and Patrick Carr | Adult | autobiography |
| Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon | Adult | indie rock memoir |
| Hammer of the Gods | Stephen Davis | Adult | Led Zeppelin |
| Heavier Than Heaven | Charles R. Cross | Adult | Kurt Cobain biography |
| The Basketball Diaries | Jim Carroll | Adult | teen addiction memoir |
| Eat a Peach | David Chang | Adult | chef memoirs |
| Bossypants | Tina Fey | Adult | readers who want laughs |
| Educated | Tara Westover | Adult | readers who like coming-of-age stories |
| Wild | Cheryl Strayed | Adult | readers who like journey memoirs |
| Hunger | Roxane Gay | Adult | readers who want a direct memoir |
| Born a Crime | Trevor Noah | Adult | humour and hardship |
| My Life in France | Julia Child | Adult | food memoir |
| Talking as Fast as I Can | Lauren Graham | Adult | TV fans |
1. Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan
Dylan recalls pivotal moments in his career. Strange and brilliant.
Best for: musician's memoir.
2. Slash by Slash and Anthony Bozza
Slash recalls fame, addiction and music. Direct and funny.
Best for: Guns N' Roses.
3. Cash by Johnny Cash and Patrick Carr
Johnny Cash tells his own story. Honest and moving.
Best for: autobiography.
4. Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon
Gordon writes about Sonic Youth and her life. Cool and reflective.
Best for: indie rock memoir.
5. Hammer of the Gods by Stephen Davis
A notorious biography of the band. Lurid and fast.
Best for: Led Zeppelin.
6. Heavier Than Heaven by Charles R. Cross
A biography of the Nirvana singer. Sad and detailed.
Best for: Kurt Cobain biography.
7. The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll
A teenage athlete describes his descent into heroin. Raw and poetic.
Best for: teen addiction memoir.
8. Eat a Peach by David Chang
The chef behind Momofuku describes his rise and his struggles with depression. Frank and funny.
Best for: chef memoirs.
9. Bossypants by Tina Fey
Fey writes about her career in comedy and life as a working mother. Funny, quick and clear-eyed.
Best for: readers who want laughs.
10. Educated by Tara Westover
Westover grows up in a survivalist family and goes to college. Gripping and honest.
Best for: readers who like coming-of-age stories.
11. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
After her mother's death, Strayed hikes the Pacific Crest Trail alone. Honest and inspiring.
Best for: readers who like journey memoirs.
12. Hunger by Roxane Gay
Gay writes about her body, trauma and the world's judgment of her size. Honest and painful.
Best for: readers who want a direct memoir.
13. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Noah describes growing up mixed-race in apartheid South Africa. Funny and powerful.
Best for: humour and hardship.
14. My Life in France by Julia Child
Julia Child recalls discovering French cooking. Warm and enthusiastic.
Best for: food memoir.
15. Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
The Gilmore Girls star writes about her career and the revival. Warm, chatty and easy.
Best for: TV fans.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Just Kids: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Just Kids. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For rock memoir, read Slash or Chronicles. For artist memoirs, try Eat a Peach. For New York, pick The Basketball Diaries.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Just Kids?
Patti Smith, in 2010.
Did it win a prize?
Yes, the National Book Award for Nonfiction.
What is it about?
Her friendship with Robert Mapplethorpe.
Which book here is best for TV fans?
Try Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham, which suits readers looking for TV fans.
Which book here is best for food memoir?
Try My Life in France by Julia Child, which suits readers looking for food memoir.
Which book here is best for humour and hardship?
Try Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, which suits readers looking for humour and hardship.
Which book here is best for readers who want a direct memoir?
Try Hunger by Roxane Gay, which suits readers looking for readers who want a direct memoir.
Which book here is best for readers who like journey memoirs?
Try Wild by Cheryl Strayed, which suits readers looking for readers who like journey memoirs.
Which book here is best for readers who like coming-of-age stories?
Try Educated by Tara Westover, which suits readers looking for readers who like coming-of-age stories.
Which book here is best for readers who want laughs?
Try Bossypants by Tina Fey, which suits readers looking for readers who want laughs.